Albany County District Attorney Lee C. Kindlon announced today that a 21-year-old Albany man is heading to state prison for pulling a gun on two strangers and stealing their vehicle.
The Honorable Roger McDonough sentenced Zyquan Stanford to serve 13 years in state prison followed by five years of post-release supervision after he pleaded guilty to Robbery in the First Degree.
Just after 2 a.m. on May 25, 2025, Stanford and three individuals approached a Jeep SUV with two men sitting inside that was parked on Second Avenue. Stanford pulled a gun on the man who was sitting in the driver’s seat and ordered the men out of the vehicle, yelling “Get out of the car before I shoot you.”
Stanford and his three friends pulled the men from the car and emptied their pockets, stealing $70 cash from one man’s wallet. The group took off in the SUV and headed eastbound as the victims called Albany Police.
A short time later, police spotted the stolen vehicle and attempted a traffic stop. Stanford sped off and but eventually dumped the car on Colonie Street as the four fled from police. While three escaped, Police captured and arrested Stanford, who was found to be in possession of a Glock 17 9mm loaded with 24 rounds in the magazine and one in the chamber.
Before sentencing, Stanford, who refused to identify his co-conspirators to police, apologized to the court and the victims for the traumatizing event.
Judge McDonough admonished Stanford that his actions in this crime could’ve easily led to something much worse, such as a shooting, if the victims had pulled a gun, or a deadly crash resulting from the high-speed chase.
He referenced Stanford’s pre-sentence investigation report, where Stanford admitted that on the night of the incident, he and his friends were “bored” and decided to rob a vehicle due to “impulse.”
“This kind of impulsiveness that was demonstrated in this crime is exactly the kind of impulsiveness that results in bodies on the streets and mothers of deceased sons and daughters coming into this courtroom weeping,” McDonough said.
Assistant District Attorney Ryan Carty, Bureau Chief of the Local Courts and Training Unit, prosecuted the case.
